Five Natural Ways to Deal with PMS

Premenstrual syndrome is no walk in the park, but there are effective natural remedies available.

Ask almost any woman in your life, and she will most likely have a laundry list of reasons to justify how terrible PMS can be. PMS is really just a blanket term for all the symptoms that occur when our bodies shed their uterine linings every month. There are all kinds of side effects, from mild to downright unbearable, but the physical and emotional symptoms can be overwhelming:

Cramps

Cravings

Fatigue

Bloating

Headaches

Breast tenderness

Acne

Poor sleep

Stress/anxiety

Depression

Mood swings

Irritability

Obviously most of these are caused by hormones, and can change every month (what a party, right?). So basically PMS is this unpredictable visitor that comes every month and can definitely ruin an entire week (or more) of your life. That is why they call it ‘Aunt Flo’.

READ MORE: Five Things Every Woman Should Know about Menopause

The bad news is, you don’t really have that much control over your PMS symptoms. The good news is, there are natural remedies that can help curb or eliminate some of them.

Here are a few natural ways to deal with your PMS.

Yoga– If you are someone who suffers from stress during PMS, yoga can help you feel more relaxed, which will be better for your body overall.

Calcium, Magnesium, and Vitamin E– A 2005 study found that women who were getting enough calcium from dairy were less likely to suffer from PMS. A 1991 study found that women who took magnesium supplements thrice daily had less pain. It can also help reduce bloating, leg swelling, insomnia, and weight gain. Vitamin E can help reduce cramps.

Acupuncture– if you suffer from depression, there is some evidence that acupuncture helps alleviate those symptoms, especially during your period.

Omega 3 fatty acids– Fatty acids found in fish or fish oil can help reduce symptoms like depression, anxiety, and bloating.

I know that yoga and stuffing your face with supplements are probably the last things you want to do when PMS starts to rear it’s ugly head, but I say that if you are suffering from symptoms, natural remedies are definitely worth a try. After all, different things work for different people and you may end up finding a miracle cure.

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